Breakpoint challenges black and white thinking with debut album

By Sadie Vadnais

Photo: Aly Laube

VANCOUVER — On Commercial Drive, the snow has put the street into chaos, grey slush and asphalt stopping up busses, pedestrians falling over themselves trying to get to where they want to go. It’s hard not to smile, sitting with Jacob “Winter” Grey and Evan Bettcher (drummer Jayden England couldn’t get there), talking about their album which feels very similar: chaos, upheaval, deviation from the norm.

“We’ve all been there, to the breakpoint. We didn’t mean to get there, but here we are,” says Grey, lighting a Marlboro. “It comes from a personal place…it’s very metaphorical.”

“Yeah,” adds Bettcher. “We basically do whatever the fuck, and make our music from that, the good and bad contrast.”

It’s a great punk album for a band of young people to come out with, but that shouldn’t be the focus of its listening as it hits with thrash and metal too. It’s the album you wished you had put out when you were in a band, which is refreshing and transporting, a theme that Breakpoint wanted to accidentally convey.

“In the track ‘Fingers Crossed’ some of the drums are a mistake but we just kept them because we ended up liking them.” Grey laughs, “Our EP was recorded in a bathroom with the fan going.”

“Our sound has changed so much,” Bettcher adds. “We listened to the EP over and over and then improved…but we just want our audience to come to their own conclusions about what the album is.”

“Last time we recorded we were going for free thinking,” Grey nods in agreement, “but this time I think you just dig for what it means…we tried not to be political, but our track ‘For Eyes To See’ is about fracking and the pipelines, but you might get something different, you know? Everybody should take something different from it if that’s what you need. We wanted to put meaning to every riff.”

This self-titled album is a testament to all the great highs and lows that come with being young. It’s a crashing, weaving attempt at bottling the angst and hilarity of growing up, and they come close, then ease off, keeping it accessible and tight enough to not be cliché. Breakpoint is the line in the sand when you felt you just had to ride the wave.

Breakpoint album release show is at 333 Clarke Drive Jan. 27 with Frogpile and Mouthbreather. Tickets are $10, doors at 8 p.m.